CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE LOUISIANA GOURD SOCIETY CONSTITUTION

Transcription

1 CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS OF THE LOUISIANA GOURD SOCIETY CONSTITUTION ARTICLE I - Name The Society shall be known as the Louisiana Gourd Society (LGS), and shall be a Non-Profit organization. ARTICLE II - Purpose The purpose of the Society shall be to educate, promote, and encourage the growing, culture, use, history, art and/or craftsmanship of gourds to our membership and the general public. ARTICLE III - Membership Section 1. Individual or family memberships shall be open to all persons who are interested in the activities of the LGS and pay membership dues. a. Family membership shall include those members of a family living at one address. b. Each person 18 years or older included in a family membership shall be entitled to vote and to hold office. Section 2. Membership entitles all members to be able to vote, hold office, and participate in all Society activities. Section 3. Membership shall be for one year and shall begin January 1 of each year upon receipt of the payment of dues. Dues paid by new members other than January 1 will be prorated by the month. ARTICLE IV - Officers, Directors, and Executive Board Section 1. The Officers shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Secretary and Immediate Past President. If an office such as Secretary, Treasurer, and/or Membership Secretary is not filled at the time of election by the membership they will remain vacant until a suitable member comes forward. At this time the appointment to such office/position will be approved by majority vote of the Executive Board. Section 2. Three (3) Directors shall be elected from the membership. Section 3. The Officers and Directors shall constitute the Executive Board. Officers and Directors must be 18 years old or older. Section 4. In the event a vacancy should occur in any of the offices, except President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to fill the remaining term.

2 ARTICLE V - Meetings Section 1. One (1) membership meeting per year shall be held at the annual show, festival, or retreat. Other meetings may be called by the President and/or the Board of Directors. The membership meetings will be open to all members and interested visitors. Section 2. The Executive Board will meet as often as necessary to conduct the business of the Society and will be in closed door session for Executive Board members only. A report of the Executive Board meeting will be provided for the membership. Section 3. Eight (8) members shall constitute a quorum at a membership meeting. ARTICLE VI - Amendments The Constitution may be amended by a two thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present at any membership meeting, provided the entire membership has been notified of the proposed amendment at least 30 days prior to the meeting. The individual member is responsible for keeping the society informed of their latest and up to date contact information, U. S. Postal mailing address, phone number, address, etc. BY-LAWS ARTICLE I - Objectives Section 1. The objectives of the Society are to band together people interested in all aspects of gourds in human affairs; to provide an informational and educational service to its members and the general public; and to provide an annual show, festival, or retreat for the promotion of gourds. ARTICLE II - Dues Section 1. Membership dues per individual or family membership shall be assessed on an annual basis. The amount of dues shall be established by the Executive Board, subject to membership approval. ARTICLE III - Terms of office Section 1. Terms of office shall be two (2 years). All officers shall be eligible for reelection if they are willing to serve. Section 2. The President, Secretary, Membership Secretary and two (2) Directors shall be elected in even years. The Vice-President, Treasurer and one (1) Director shall be elected in odd years. Section 3. In the event of a vacancy in any of the offices, except President, the Executive Board shall appoint a member to fill the unexpired term.

3 ARTICLE IV - Officer s duties Section 1. The President presides over all meetings of the Executive Board and the general membership. The President shall establish any committee deemed necessary and appoint chairs for such committee with the approval of the Executive Board. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all committees unless she/he appoints someone to assume the responsibility. Section 2. The Vice-President shall assist the President and assume all duties of the Presidency in the absence of the President and shall continue to do so until his/her return, or until the next elected President takes office. Section 3. The Secretary of the society will be custodian of its records and shall keep a complete record of all official activities of the Society and conduct all necessary correspondence. Section 4. The Treasurer shall receive all monies belonging to the Society and keep accurate records of all receipts and disbursements. All bills or expenses incurred must be presented to the Treasurer for payment. All monies must be deposited in a bank located convenient for the Treasurer. A written report of receipts and disbursements shall be presented at the annual business/membership meeting. Upon membership vote, the Society may require the Treasurer to be bonded and shall pay for such bond. The Treasurer is responsible for verifying pre-approval of disbursements over $ The Treasurer helps create the budget for the coming year. Expenditures of over $ must be approved by the Executive Board. Section 5. The Membership Secretary shall maintain an up-to-date list of all members and notifies them before their membership expires. Upon receipt of dues, membership cards and other appropriate literature is sent to the member. The Membership Secretary provides a membership list to other Board members upon request. The membership list provided to Board members is to be used for official Louisiana Gourd Society business only in order to protect the privacy of its members. ARTICLE V - Executive Board Section 1. The Executive Board shall consist of all elected Officers and Directors, and shall have the authority to conduct the business of the Society. Section 2. The Executive Board shall meet as often as necessary at the call of the President to conduct Society business. Section 3. The Executive Board shall meet prior to the Annual Business Meeting to prepare a budget for submission to the membership. This meeting may be conducted by or telephone if meeting physically is inconvenient. Section 4. The Executive Board shall monitor the Society expenditures.

4 ARTICLE VI Editor and Historian Both the Editor and Historian shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Executive Committee. The Editor shall publish the newsletter. The Historian shall keep a scrapbook of pictures, clippings, etc., that tell of the activities of the Society. The Editor and the Historian shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Board, but are not entitled to a vote. ARTICLE VII Committees Section 1. Committees may include, but not be limited to Nominating, Auditing, Ways & Means, and Publicity. Committee activities must be approved by the Executive Board. Section 2. Additional committees must be approved by the Board. Section 3. The Nominating Committee shall consist of 2 members. This committee prepares a slate of nominees for presentation to membership and must have had personal contact with each nominee to insure their intent to hold office before presentation to the membership. Nominations can be taken from the general membership for any elected office during the election process/meeting. Section 4. The Auditing Committee shall consist of 2 members. This committee shall audit the Treasurer s records at the end of each fiscal year and whenever a new Treasurer takes office. The Audit Committee will provide a written statement of their findings to the Executive Board upon completion of the audit. Section 5. The Ways & Means Committee will consist of 2 members. The duties of the committee are to provide plans and activities throughout the year to supplement the income of the society through raffles, etc. The Ways & Means Committee chair can appoint additional members to help carry out activities. Section 6. The Publicity Committee Chair shall select all committee members necessary to the performance of his/her duties. The Publicity Committee shall announce all Society functions and promote the objectives of the Society through all media (print, audio, video, electronic, etc.), as well as other organizations. This may include, but not be limited to, publication of a newsletter, press releases, appearances on television programs, and creation of a website or blog, with the approval of the Executive Board. Section 7. The Show Committee chair shall be named by the President. The Treasurer and the Publicity Chairman shall serve as members of the show committee. The selected chair shall appoint other members to be responsible for all activities in planning and conducting the annual festival and encourage member participation and involvement in all aspects.

5 ARTICLE VII - Amendments The By-Laws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present at any membership meeting, provided the entire membership has been notified of the proposed amendment at least 30 days prior to the meeting. ARTICLE VIII - Dissolution In the event of the dissolution of the Louisiana Gourd Society, all debts must be paid. remaining assets of the Society shall be presented to the American Gourd Society. Any STANDING RULES 1. All membership and executive meetings will be conducted professionally with business decorum. 2. A standing rule will continue in force until rescinded. 3. Standing rules may be suspended at any one meeting by a majority vote provided it pertains to the business of that meeting. 4. The fiscal year shall be January 1 through December The order of business shall be: A. Call to order B. Reading and approval of the minutes C. Treasurer s report D. Communications and announcements E. Committee Reports F. Unfinished business G. New business H. Appointments I. Adjournment Adopted May 14, 2011 Amended Constitution (Article V), Amended By-Laws (Article 1) May 16, 2015